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Organic farmers in Michigan need to log on to http://www.driftwatch.org to identify the locations of their organic farms so they will be listed on the Certified Organic Farm registry for 2012.

Organic farms located nearby conventional farms stand a risk
of pesticide drift. Commercial pesticide applicators that otherwise might not
be aware of adjacent organic farms can refer to the Certified Organic Registry
coordinated by the Michigan
Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD). By using the
registry, they can locate pesticide sensitive fields in their area and take
extra precaution to prevent pesticide drift.

In the past, organic farmers registered their farm using a
paper form. For 2012, organic farmers will be using a website called driftwatch. This appears
to be an excellent communication tool. After organic farmers list their farms,
commercial pesticide applicators will be able to log on to the website and
easily identify existing organic farms in their service area. This same online
system will be used for other pesticide sensitive areas such as apiaries,
vineyards and specialty crop fields.

Organic farms can be listed now for 2012. It can be updated
if new fields are added. Information is required to be reentered every year. Organic
farmers without access to the Internet or who need assistance can contact Dan
Rossman at the Gratiot
County MSU Extension office at 989-875-5233 or Antonio Castro-Escobar at MDARD at 517-373-6350.